4 . UK safety advisers have dismissed concerns that highly processed food, also known as ultra-processed food (UPF), is automatically unhealthy because of the way it is made or its artificial ingredients. The current way that the UK and most other countries assess the nutrition al value of foods—which is generally by how much fat, salt, sugar and calories they contain—remains the best approach to achieving a health y diet, said a team of scientists. They also warned that people who cut out all ultra-processed foods could make their diets more unhealthy, for instance, if they avoid foods such as yogurts, low-fat spreads, wholemeal bread and food made of grains.
Concerns about processed foods have been growing, but it is unclear if there is something uniquely bad about them or if they just tend to be higher in things like fat and sugar. The issue has come into focus this year since Chris van Tulleken, a doctor and TV presenter, published a book called Ultra-Processed People: Why do we all eat stuff that isn’ t food... and why can’t we stop? Chris van Tulleken has called for more countries to adopt dietary guidelines pioneered in Brazil, where people are advised to prioritise eating whole foods and homemade meals, and avoid eating factory-made foods.
On 27 September, researchers from nutrition organisations rejected the proposed system. “We absolutely need foods to be processed so that we can feed the world,” said May at the University of Leeds, UK, who is a member of the British Nutrition Foundation. May also said UPF includes products that are both healthy and unhealthy. “It’s important we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. There are many components that have a very important role to play in nutrition and in safety,” he said.
Benefits of food processing include the use of preservatives that make food last longest and artificial sweeteners that help people reduce their sugar intake, said May. Other examples of processed foods that can be beneficial include baby food, infant formula milk and breads with added vitamins and minerals, said the panel.
1. What can be known from paragraph 1?| A．Low-fat spreads are ultra-processed food. |
| B．Wholemeal bread is unhealthy to us. |
| C．Ultra-processed food doesn’t contain sugar. |
| D．The nutritional value of food needs to be precisely recorded. |
| A．They should avoid ultra-processed food. | B．They should not have homemade food. |
| C．They should consume more Brazilian food. | D．They should read more books on healthy food. |
| A．Kids should raise their awareness of food safety. |
| B．Children are the biggest victims of ultra-processed food. |
| C．Ultra-processed food does cause more damage to children. |
| D．Ultra-processed food has both advantages and disadvantages. |
| A．How Ultra-processed Food Benefits People |
| B．Ultra-processed Food Isn’t Always Unhealthy |
| C．A Popular Book Brings Focus on Ultra-processed Food |
| D．What Health Risks Ultra-processed Food Brings to People |
5 . The number of times I’ve been asked how I became a food and travel writer is too many to count. Frankly, I’m not exactly sure how to
I’m not a
There’s not a more
Traditions and culture are deeply
| A．write | B．recommend | C．count | D．answer |
| A．food | B．environment | C．appearance | D．mood |
| A．talented | B．typical | C．famous | D．creative |
| A．usually | B．currently | C．always | D．rarely |
| A．origins | B．impact | C．sources | D．production |
| A．path | B．reason | C．story | D．intention |
| A．research | B．mark | C．lesson | D．change |
| A．complex | B．delicious | C．natural | D．enormous |
| A．shopper | B．observer | C．critic | D．local |
| A．feel | B．travel | C．communicate | D．respond |
| A．included in | B．rooted in | C．kept in | D．applied in |
| A．taken | B．delivered | C．heard | D．judged |
| A．serve | B．comment | C．work | D．cook |
| A．enjoy | B．avoid | C．risk | D．regret |
| A．identity | B．difference | C．understanding | D．background |
6 . On the evening of June 22, a Kunqu Opera performance titled The Peony Pavilion took to the stage of Beijing’s Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, starring Wei Chunrong in the role of the female protagonist (主角), Du Liniang. Despite having performed the part on stage over 300 times, Wei still arrived at the theater four hours early, being the first actress backstage to get her makeup done and check the equipment. This is a habit she’s maintained ever since first entering the world of Kunqu in 1982.
Kunqu Opera originated in Jiangsu Province some 600 years ago. As one of the oldest traditional Chinese operas, Kunqu is regarded as the “ancestor of Chinese dramas” and the “mother of Chinese operas”.
Kunqu Opera prospered (兴盛) during the Ming Dynasty, but suddenly experienced a downturn in the mid-Qing Dynasty. Its lyrics (歌词), originally flowery, eventually became non-understandable, while its melodies slowed down to what some people called a “funereal level”. Kunqu therefore became unacceptable to all but a small number of fans.
But when UNESCO officially listed Kunqu Opera as intangible cultural heritage in 2001, it returned to the spotlight.
“When our application proved successful, we were all so happy and proud. However, I suddenly realized that it actually meant its decline (衰退) and that it required protection.” Since then, Wei has devoted herself to preserving and passing on her beloved art of Kunqu Opera.
To address the lack of young talent in Kunqu Opera, Wei herself today also teaches younger actors, doing for them what her teachers did for her. Offstage, Wei is their friend; onstage, she aims to bring out the best in them as performers of the art through her masterly knowhow and strict demands.
1. Which of the following can best describe Wei according to paragraph 1?| A．Devoted. | B．Creative. | C．Promising. | D．Curious. |
| A．It is the oldest opera. | B．It is especially popular with the young. |
| C．It once lost its appeal. | D．Its lyrics are long and difficult. |
| A．Promoting herself as a master. |
| B．Passing it down to a younger generation. |
| C．Getting people to learn more about its history. |
| D．Giving as many performances as possible globally. |
| A．Kunqu Opera—Intangible Cultural Heritage |
| B．Kunqu Opera—from Prosperity to Decline |
| C．The Origin and History of the Kunqu Opera |
| D．One Master’s Commitment to the Kunqu Opera |
1. How will the students go to Hilltop Castle?
| A．By bus. | B．By car. | C．By train. |
| A．Mr. Hill. | B．Mrs. Philips. | C．Mr. Gifford. |
| A．At 7:15 am. | B．At 7:30 am. | C．At 7:45 am. |
| A．A pen. | B．Some food. | C．A piece of paper. |
9 . Nearly 13,000 cultural relics have been unearthed from six pits (坑) of the Sanxingdui Ruins site, including many objects and statues never seen before, and they help present a more complete view of the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom.
The digging work mainly aimed at the sacrificial (献祭的) area of the ruins and six newly discovered pits. From 2020 to 2022, a total area of 1,834 square meters was explored in the sacrificial area, which covered a total area of nearly 13,000 square meters.
The significant discoveries include thousands of cultural relics made of different materials such as bronze, gold and jade and unearthed in six new pits, ruins of architecture, time of building the pits and the proof of exchanges between the ancient Shu Kingdom and the Central Plains in the Shang dynasty. Among the cultural relics newly unearthed, archaeologists found 3,155 comparatively complete relics.
“All cultural relics have significant meanings for archaeological research. If I have to choose one, I want to select the crowned bronze statue with a snake’s body,” said Ran Honglin, director of the Sanxingdui Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute. He noted that the relics prove the diversity of Chinese culture and offer another powerful example of Chinese civilization’s unity in diversity, because the bronze statue’s shape melted cultural factors of different areas in China during ancient times.
Researchers used Carbon-14 dating to confirm that nearly 200 samples unearthed in different pits were made from 1131 BC to 1012 BC, so they concluded that in addition to the fifth and sixth pits appearing later, the rest of the pits should have been built in the late Shang dynasty, dating from 3,000 to 3,200 years ago. The discovery has solved an argument over the age of sacrificial pits found in the past three decades.
“The digging and research work is continuing. There will be more discoveries with further work.” Ran said.
1. What is the significance of the newly unearthed relics?| A．They are the first complete relics to be unearthed. |
| B．They are helpful in protecting the Sanxingdui Ruins site. |
| C．They prove statues appeared first in the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| D．They help better understand the culture of the ancient Shu Kingdom. |
| A．Its origin. | B．Its form. | C．Its material. | D．Its meaning. |
| A．The time of building them. |
| B．The time of finding them. |
| C．The way of studying them. |
| D．The order of numbering them. |
| A．To explain the meaning of cultural relics. |
| B．To remember an archeologist in Sanxingdui. |
| C．To introduce the new discoveries in Sanxingdui. |
| D．To recommend Sanxingdui as a tourist destination. |
10 . With its wonderful attractions, Harbin, the beautiful ice city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, has become a social media sensation (轰动).
Among these beautiful sights is a group of 11 lovely children from Nanning, Guangxi in South China, who embarked on an educational trip to Harbin, immediately winning the hearts of online communities.
Dressed in bright orange outfits (服装), they are lovingly called “little tangerines”, with the oldest just six and a half years old and the youngest only three years and five months old.
The nickname symbolizes both their cute orange outfits and Guangxi’s well-known fruits — tangerines. Each day, their presence is appearing on various social media platforms.
Wherever they went, they are warmly received by the locals. In Harbin, they tasted the local food and watched a fireworks display.
The lead teacher of their tour confirmed their arrival in Mohe. Upon their arrival, a local travel agency warmly welcomed the tour group together with the city’s tourism bureau.
At the northernmost police outpost of China, they sang the national anthem (国歌) and saluted the border guards, marking an important part of their educational trip. Moreover, the police officers at the station prepared snow sculptures and snowmen for the “little tangerines”.
To express gratitude for the hospitality (好客) received in Heilongjiang, a free batch of tangerines from Guangxi was sent to the province.
Data show that Harbin welcomed more than 3 million visitors, bringing in 5.9 billion yuan during the three-day New Year holiday, which ended on January 1st.
1. The underlined phrase “embarked on ” means______.| A．acted on | B．went on | C．worked on | D．held on |
| A．They are a group of primary school students. |
| B．They got the nickname because of their outfits. |
| C．They were warmly welcomed by people from China. |
| D．They took part in various activities in Heilongjiang. |
| A．They sent another group of free “little tangerines” to the province. |
| B．They transported a large number of tangerines to the province. |
| C．They invited Heilongjiang people to taste tangerines for free. |
| D．They planted a free batch of tangerines trees in Heilongjiang. |
| A．A Warm Welcome to “Little Tangerines” from Guangxi. |
| B．Guangxi “Little Tangerines” on an Educational Trip to Harbin |
| C．A Group of Children from Guangxi Received Education in Harbin |
| D．A Group of Guangxi Children Sent to Harbin for Free |
